A Post-Foundational Proposal to the Feminist Debate around khôra: Receptacle, Space, Matter or Void? Derrida, Irigaray, Kristeva and Butler

Abstract

From Aristotle to Heidegger –going through figures as diverse as Theophrastus, Simplicius, Plotinus or Ficinus–, the khôra of Plato’s Timaeus is one of the philosophical topics which have caused the greatest interest, always accompanied by an equal confusion. Should it be understood as space, matter, void or a receptacle? It seems that even Plato himself would not have decided between such different options. More recently, no doubt due to the sexed metaphors that Plato used, the khôra has caused a great debate in French philosophy in the second half of the twentieth century. Sometimes seen as oppressive, others as liberating, the khôra has reawakened an enormous interest in post-structuralist and post-feminist thinkers such as Derrida, Irigaray, Kristeva or Butler. In the present article, we will propose a solution to the problem of khôra by defining it as “empty of form, but full instead of space and matter”. Through this thesis we will try to develop a framework for a post-foundational feminism “from the beginning” that shines a new light on such burning issues nowadays as abortion, prostitution or surrogacy.